Web-feeding device for printing-presses.



No. 884,900. PATPNTED APR. 14, 1908.

` P. P, 00X. Y

WBB PEPDING DEVISE PoR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.10, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENIED APR. 14, 1908.

P. E. 00X. WEB EEEDING DEVICE EOE PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.10. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

,UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

PAUL FLEMMING COX, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE JACKSONPRINTING PRESS COMPANY, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

WEB-FEEDING DEVICE FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL FLEMMING COX, of Jackson, in the county ofJackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in VVeb-Feeding vDevices for Printing-Presses; and I herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which formpart of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in web feeding devices for printingpresses, and it is designed to feed a web continuously but withirregular motion to a movable bed press.

The invention in particular is designed for use in connection with webprinting presses of the type shown in my Patent No. 847,912, of March19, 1907, and I have herein shown the web feeding devices in connectionwith such a press in the drawings, but I do not consider the inventionrestricted to use in a press of this kind as it may be utilized invarious web feeding machines however, and particularly where it isdesired to feed a web during printing thereof at a speed varying withand in conformity to the movement of the type bed during the printingoperation.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated several mechanismsembodying the invention and illustrating its nature and purpose, and Iwill now describe the same more particularly with reference thereto, andrefer to the claims for summaries of parts andv combination of parts forwhich protection is desired.

In the drawing-Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional elevation of a webprinting press of the type described in my aforesaid patent and with myimproved web feeding devices applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlargeddetail view of the web feeding and delivering devices shown in Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a modiiication of the web feedingdevices 5 and Fig. 4 isa detail view showing another modification ofsuch devices.

As shown in Fig. 1, the press has two opposite type beds B B, which maybe reciprocated simultaneously in opposite directions by means of pitmanE, connected to hangers l) on the beds and to crank gears G, hung onshafts g extending transversely through the press, said gearsintermeshing so that they will be driven in opposite directions andSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. October 10, 1907.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Serial N0. 396,842.

consequently the beds be reciprocated in opposite directions. The gearsmay be driven by a pinion h, mounted on a transverse driving shaft H,and meshing with oneof the gears G, as shown. Above each type bed aretwo cylinders I, I', said cylinders may be mounted in eccentric boxes X,which are connected to longitudinal bars WV, pivotally connected at oneend to a lever V, which is connected by a rod U, to a lever T, pivotedat one end on a frame and carrying a roller t, engaging a race cam S, onone of the gears G, or attached to the shaft thereof, as shown, so thatat the proper time the cylinders may be thrown on or off impression.

The course of the web is as follows: The web is led in from a roll J, atone end of the machine to and around a feed roll N', thence passes overa guide o, to and between the left-hand bed B and its cylinder I, upover guides 0, 02, between the left-hand cylinder I and bed B; thenceback over guides o3, o, down between right-hand cylinder I and its bedB, up over guides o5, o, down between right-hand cylinder I and bed B,then up over guides o7, to delivery roll P The feed and delivery rollsN, P', are irregular in outline and appear eccentric to their shafts oraxes of rotation, but are caused to turn once for each reciprocation ofthe bed by means of a gear Y3 on the shaft of roll N meshing with a gearG3 of similar size on the shaft g, of one of the adjacent gears G. Anyother suitable gearing may be employed to rotate the irregular feed rollin the proper time and relation to the movements of the beds.

As shown in Fig. 1, the delivery roll P is of shape corresponding tothat of the in-feed roll N. In the press shown the rolls N, P, aredesigned to make one revolution for each sheet printed. The peripheriesof these rolls have such an outline as to im art a movement to the webpractically exact y uniform with the speed of the type beds B, duringthe actual printing operations, that iswhen the cylinders I, I', areactually on impression, during the printing strokes of the beds. thatwhile the beds are out of impression they will feed forward the desiredamount of web into position to be printed at the next operation of thepress.

It is obvious that during the printing The rolls N, P, are also soshaped operation the web must be fed forward through the press in exactuniformity with the speed of movement of the beds and therefore a partof the periphery of each roll N, P, must be accurately shaped to so feedthe web during the printing operations, and the remainder of theperiphery of such roll is also so shaped as to feed the amount of webthat it, is desired to shift between the beds and cylinders afterimpression. The peripheries of the rolls are shaped as desired accordingto the length of web to be fed`-any sudden jerk or stoppage of the webat the beginning or end of the printing operation being prevented bymerging the printing and nonprinting feed portions of the rolls in aproper manner.

In the press shown the cylinders I, I, print only on the outward strokesof the beds, and while the web is moving onward from the feed to thedelivery. And as described in my patent, the cylinders I, I, in eachpair, print different portions of the web,

vthat is, the cylinders I, print alternate spaces on the web, and thecylinders I print the portions of the web skipped by the cylinders I.This enables me to shorten the strokes of the beds and to printsaythirty-five inches of paper by a seventeen and one-half inch movementof the bed during printing,-as described in my said patent. Thusseventeen and one-half inches of web (less the margins) must be fedbetween the bed and cylinders during the actual printing operations, andseventeen and one-half inches of web (plus the margins) be fed betweenthe beds and cylinders while the impression is thrown off. I thuspractically feed as much web during impression as`is fedafter'impression, and the web is always moving forward in the samedirection.

By means of the irregular web feeding and delivering cylinders N", P,properly constructed, the web will be fed forward between the beds andcylinders during impressions at the speed desired and in exactaccordance with the irregular crank movement of the bed and afterimpressions the remaining length of web will be fed forward. atsubstantially uniform speed, if desired. Thus the web is continuouslyfed through the press and the feed and delivery rolls themselvescompensate the web for the crank motion of the bed and I am able todispense with anyauxiliary or compensating looping rollers for the web.

The roll'P, may be driven from the roll N by a suitable train of gearsp, as shown in the drawings, so that the feed and deliverywill be ineXact unison.

I preferably employ tapes Q and It, in connection with rolls i P, thetapes Q passing The roller N2 may be located above and be a substantialduplicate of the roll N and geared seance to rotate therewith and set,so that the pe ripheries of the roll N and roller N2 will remainsubstantially equi distant at their point of closest approximation, andhence the roller N2 will keep the tapes Q at sub stantially uniformtension and compensate them for the irregularity of roll vN.

As a further means of maintaining uniform tension on the tapes, theroller Q can be oted at u on the main frame, and rods a are connected toarms U and extend through lugs U2 on the frame and have a washer andnuts U3 on their upper ends, a spring UA1 be- 'U`, so as to normallydraw the roller q away from roll N and thus keep the tapes Q under theirregularity of the roll N. The tapes li, co-acting with roll P, may beguided over rollers i", rj and the roll p2 may be constructed like rollP if desired and serve the same purpose relative to the tapes It, thatroller N 2 serves Afor tapes Q; and if desired roller r might be madeadjustable for the same purpose as roller q.

As shown in Fig. 3, the irregular roll \l2 can be dispensed with and anordinary tape guide roller (13, used in place thereof, feed roll Nremaining the same. In this case roller q is depended upon to take upthe slack in the tapes occasioned by irregularity of roll N. Instead ofusing a spring to eontrol roller q, it may be mounted in sliding cam onthe end of roll N, or secured 1o its shaft, and by which the roller qwill be moved in or out exactly as required to main tain the propertension of the tapes against the irregular surface of roll N, duringrotation thereof. A similar arrangement can be used in connection withthe delivery roll P.

As shown in Fig. 4, instead of using an irregular delivery roll P, acylindric delivery roll PX may be used, co-acting with delivery tapes R,and this roll PX is driven by a train of gears p from the roll N, butoperates with uniform speed. In order to compensate such delivery rollfor the irregular movement of the web through the press, I provideamovable compensating looper IN, and after the web leaves guide rollero7 it is carried up over rollers 08, then down under looping roller W,and up to delivery roll PX` The erated by cams VV, which may be fast tothe shaft of roll N2, and are so proportioned as to raise and lower rollW at proper times so as to give up its loop of web as demanded by theinders are on impression; and after impressions it will descendsufficiently to take up i any oversupply of web fed in faster than thedelivery roll requires. The delivery roll PX may be peripherally speededso as to deliver ing interposed between the washer' and lug uniformtension and compensate same for bars which have ins 2 envae'inw a raceroller WV is mounted on bars w, which are op- A,

continuously ruiming roll PX, while the c vlmounted in swinging arms U,which are piv- A the web continuously at a uniform speed both during andafter impression. And the roller W is simply used to take care of theslightly irregular feed of the web required by the movement of the bed.

rIlhe rolls N', P, N2, P2, might be described as epicycloidal rolls, asthey are approximately oval in cross section, but as they are notabsolutely true epicycloids, I prefer to term them in the descriptionand claims irregular-meaning thereby that the said rolls are not trulycylindric or concentric to their axes of rotation, the rolls as a wholebeing eccentric to their axes of rotation.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a printing press, the combination of a printing couple operatingat variable speed during the printing, web guiding means, and anirregular feed roll adapted to feed a web at varying speed during itsrotation; with a web delivery mechanism adapted to deliver the web fedby the feed roll, and to maintain the tension of the intermediateportion of the web.

2. In a printing press, an impression couple operating at variable speedduring the printing, web guides, a web feed roll of irregular outlineadapted to feed. the web forward at variable speed during its rotationas required by the impression couple, a delivery roll adapted to deliverthe web, and gearing between the feed and delivery rolls.

3. In a printing press, the combination of printing mechanism operatingat variable speed during the printing, web guides and a web feed roll ofirregular outline adapted to` feed the web forward at variable speedduring its rotation as required by the printing mechanism; with meansfor rotating the feed roll, a delivery roll adapted to deliver the webfed in by the feed roll, and gearing between the feed and deliveryrolls.

4. In a printing press, the combination of a printing couple and webguides, a feed roll having an irregular outline, tapes co-acting withsaid roll, means for automatically maintaining the tension of saidtapes, and means for rotating the roll, said feed roll being eccentricto its axis of-rotation whereby the web is fed forward at irregular seeddurino the rotation of the roll; with a c elivery roll adapted todeliver the web as fast as fed in by the' feed roll, and gearing betweenthe feed and delivery rolls.

5. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating type bed, acylinder, and means for directing a web between the bed and cylinder,and an irregular feed roll adapted to feed the web forward duringimpression at a speed conformable to the movement of the bed.

6. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating type bed, acylinder, and

means for directing a web between the bed and cylinder, and an irregularfeed roll hav-.

ing an irregular outline and adapted to feed the web forward duringimpression at variable speed conformable to the movement of andcylinder, and an irregular feed roll adapted to feed the web forwardduring impressions at a speed conformable to the movement of the bed,and to feed a like portion of the web forward during the return strokeof the bed and while the impression is thrown off.

8. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating type bed, acylinder, and means for directing a web between the bed and cylinder,and an irregular feed roll having an irregular outline and adapted tofeed the web forward during impression at variable speed conformable tothe-movement of the bed, and to feed a like portion of the web forwardduring the return stroke of the bed and while the impression is thrownofl".

9. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating bed, acylinder co-acting therewith, and guides for directing a web between thebed and cylinder; a web feed roll having an irregular outline, and meansfor continuously rotating this roll whereby the web is fed forwardduring impressions at the speed of travel of the bed and also fedforward after impressions.

.10. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating bed, acylinder co-acting therewith, guides for directing a web between the bedand cylinder, a feeding mechanism comprising a web feed roll mountedeccentric to its axis of rotation, means for rotating this roll wherebythe web is fed forward during impressions at the speed of travel of thebed and also fed after impression at a uniform speed; with a deliverymechanism adapted to draw the web through the press at a speed uniformwith its feed.

11. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating bed, acylinder co-acting I therewith, means for directing a web between thebed and cylinder, a web feeding roll mounted eccentric to itsaxis,`tapes co-acting with said roll and means for maintaining thetension of said tapes whereby the web is fed to the press duringimpression at a speed uniform with the movement of the bed.

12. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating bed, acylinder co-acting therewith, means for directing a web between the bedand cylinder, a web feeding roll mounted eccentric to its axis, tapesco-acting with said roll whereby the web is fed to the press duringimpression at a speed uniform with the movement of the bed g and a webdelivery mechanism comprising a roll and tapes co-acting therewithadapted to draw the web through the press at a speed coincident with itsfeed thereto.

13. ln a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating bed, acylinder co-acting therewith, means for directing a web between the bedand cylinder, a web feeding roll mounted eccentric to its axis, tapesco-acting with said roll and means for maintaining the tension of saidtapes whereby the web is fed to the press during impression at a speeduniform with the movement of the bed, and a web delivery mechanismcomprising a roll of irregular outline and tapes co-acting therewithadapted to draw the web through the press at a speed coincident with itsfeed thereto, and gearing between the feed and delivery mechanisms.

14. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating bed, a pairof cylinders coacting therewith, means for directing a web successivelybetween the cylinders and the bed, and a feed roll mounted eccentric toits axis of rotation adapted to feed the web between the bed andcylinders during impression at a speed uniform with that of the bedmovement.

15. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating bed, a pairof cylinders coacting therewith, means for directing a web successivelybetween the cylinders and the bed, and a feed roll of irregular outlineadapted to feed the web between the bed and cylind ers during impressionat a speed uniform with that of the bed movement and to feed a likelength of web between the bed and cylinders after impression.

16. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating bed, a pairof cylinders coacting therewith, means for directing a web successivelybetween the cylinders and the bed, and a feed roll mounted eccentric toits axis of rotation adapted to feed the web between the bed andcylinders during impression at a speed uniform with that of the bedmovement; with a web delivery roll of irregular outline adapted to drawthe web through the press at a speed coincident with its feed.

17. 1n a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating bed, a pairof cylinders coacting therewith, means for directing a web successivelybetween the cylinders and the bed, and a feed roll of irregular outlineadapted to feed the web between the bed and cylinders during impressionat a speed uniform with that of the bed movement and to feed a likelength of web between the bed and cylinders after impression; with a webdelivery roll of irregular outline adapted to draw the web through thepress at a speed coincident with its feed.

18. In a web perfecting printing press, the

combination of reciprocating type beds and co-acting cylinders, guidesfor directing a web between the cylinders and beds, a feed roll ofirregular outline adapted to feed the web through the press at a speeduniform with the movement of the beds during impression, and a deliverymechanism adapted to draw the web through the press at a speedcoincident with its feed.

19. In a web perfecting printing press, the combination of reciprocatingtype beds, a pair of cylinders co-acting with each of said beds, guidesfor directing a web successiwly between the cylinders and beds, a feedroll of irregular outline adapted to feed the web through the press at aspeed uniform with the movement of the bed during impression and to feeda similar length of web to the press after impression, and a deliverymeehanism adapted to draw the web through the press at a speedcoincident with its feed.

20. In a web printing press, the combina.- tion of a pair ofreciprocating beds and coaeting cylinders, a web feeding roll ofirregular outline, tapes co-acting with said roll, means for rotatingsaid roll at uniform speed whereby a length of web is fed to the pressduring impression at a speed uniform with. the movement of the beds anda like length of web is fed to the press while the impression is thrownofl', a web delivery mechanism adapted to draw the web through the pressat a speed coincident with its feed, and guides for directing the webfrom the feed roll suecessively between the cylinders and beds andthence to the delivery.

21. In a web printing press, the combination of a pair of opposite/lyreciproeatingl beds, a pair of cylinders co-acting with eaeh bed, a webfeeding mechanism comprising a roll of irregular outline, tapes c iacting with said roll, means for tensioning the tapes, and means forrotating said roll at uniform speed whereby a length of web is fed tothe press during impression at a speed uniform with the movement of thebeds and a like length of web is fed to the press while the impressionis thrown off 5 with a web delivery mechanism adapted to draw the webthrough the press at a speed coincident with its feed, and guides fordirecting the web from the feed roll and between one pair of cylindersand bed and then to and between the next pair of cylinders and bed, andthence to the delivery mechanism.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own, l affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

PAUL FLEMMI NG COX.

Witnesses:

JAMES R. MANsFmLn, GEO. M. BOND.

